This Grace We Now Receive
by Juliet Knighly
Summary: When Ward is tortured to the point of death by Hydra, Skye is the only one to forget the past and help him. As she nurses him back to health, she recalls the second chance she was given by SHIELD, and decides that perhaps the world is short on mercy. Very AU.


_**Standard Disclaimers Apply**_

* * *

 _Ward. Grant Douglas Ward. Agent of Shield. Born November twenty-third, nineteen eighty-eight._

He repeated the information in his head for what felt like the thousandth time, trying to ignore the agony that consumed him.

Raising his eyes, Ward looked into the lifeless blue irises that had been staring at him for hours. They never flickered or sparked, as if they were made of ice. But oh, how the person they belonged to _loved_ to burn things.

Sierra Larson watched as the SHIELD agent whimpered at her hands. She had worked for SHIELD once, but they hadn't appreciated her skill in forceful interrogation. So she'd joined Hydra. And they'd put her abilities to good and frequent use.

She wasn't interrogating today, however. She was punishing a deserter.

"What's eight squared plus seven?" The girl drawled, momentarily relinquishing her tormenting.

Grant struggled to breathe regularly as he worked the equation.

"Seventy-one..." He answered, knowing that, even though he was correct, she would deem him wrong.

"No. Eight plus eight plus seven is twenty-three."

He started to protest, saying that eight squared meant eight _times_ eight, but she pulled a tiny blade out of her jacket and got to work.

A few minutes later, she stepped back and examined him.

"I'll be back tomorrow... If you're still here, at least." She said in her monotone voice, then walked out of the room. The lights clicked off a minute later, as Grant repeated the phrase in his head until he fell unconscious.

* * *

Skye looked out the window in her quarters. Clouds as far as the eye could see. And absolutely nothing to do.

Heading into the common area, she sat at the bar and poured herself some scotch, watching as FitzSimmons, Hunter, and Coulson played a game involving capturing relics and escaping some sort of island. It was entertaining, but after a while she pulled out her phone, beginning to type in random names and scan faces.

For a while she scanned names she remembered from foster care, checking in on the people she'd once thought could be her family. One name kept jumping to her mind, but she repressed the thought for a while.

After half an hour, though, her thumbs moved over the letters, spelling the name that made her heart both flutter and sink.

Grant Ward.

The scan took a bit longer than the ones prior, but after a couple minutes her phone vibrated. Looking at the screen, she felt the blood drain from her face.

The scan was only a 60% match, but she knew it was him. He was wearing a black prison uniform, but from his exposed skin she could tell he would bleed out before 24 hours was up.

After memorizing his location, she dropped her phone and tried to slip past the four members of her team unnoticed. Once she was out of their sight, she sprinted to the hangar and jumped into one of the Little Doves, lowering the ramp and jetting out.

Coulson stood when she disappeared down the hall, walking over to the bar where her phone sat and looking down at the screen.

"Damn... Simmons, prep your medical equipment."

Jemma looked up, confused. "What for?"

"Just do it, Simmons. You'll learn why in... Eh, I'd give it three hours."

Standing, the girl left to do as she was told, a perplexed and slightly suspicious look on her face. Fitz trailed her, glancing back at the forgotten game with an almost disappointed look, but kept following her.

Hunter, meanwhile, went and stood next to Coulson, staring at Skye's phone. His eyes widened as he saw what was projected on its screen.

"Well, there goes poker night." He exclaimed, taking in the form of a bleeding agent Grant Ward.

* * *

The coordinates put her over Seattle, Washington. Cloaking the little plane, Skye landed in an alley not too far from the warehouse she'd seen the wounded agent by. How she would get him back there was a problem she would worry about when she knew he was still alive.

Appearing to casually stroll through the city streets, she hurried as fast as she could to the place she had seen.

After walking about a block, she came to the large warehouse she'd seen him near. She headed down the driveway and began looking for the dumpster he'd been leaning against, her heart racing.

He looked dead when she found him. Pale, slumped at an odd angle, and barely breathing, she at first thought she was too late. But running to him revealed a weak pulse, so she pulled a portable stretcher out of her backpack and opened it up, lifting him onto it and raising it so she could push it. Then she headed towards the plane she'd commandeered.

No one questioned her as she went. She only passed two people, (it was a rough part of town and getting late,) but they just glanced at her and then continued their business.

Skye wheeled the unconscious agent as quickly as she dared. She didn't want to jostle him and injure him further, but he had several deep knife wounds that were slowly coloring the fabric he was laying on. If they weren't seen to as quickly as possible, Grant would bleed out before the night was up.

"You're gonna be okay Ward, we're almost there." Skye muttered, turning the alley to where the small aircraft sat, hidden from prying eyes with a high-tech cloaking device.

She opened the door, the space just big enough for the stretcher to fit through, then, after securing her new passenger, sat in the pilot's seat and took off, gunning it back to the bus.

* * *

2 hours and 37 minutes later, the Little Dove landed on Coulson's plane. Skye jumped out of the aircraft and started unstrapping Ward as Hunter appeared in the hangar.

"You know Coulson is _really_ pissed, right?" He said, helping her ease the stretcher out of the bay.

"Yep, don't care right now." She said as they wheeled him into Simmons's lab.

Jemma's face paled when she saw who they needed her to work on, but she began giving orders nonetheless. When he was hooked up to all the necessary monitors, she shooed everyone but Fitz from the room.

The two began working, so in sync it was borderline supernatural. Skye watched as they operated on Ward and pumped him full of numerous liquids, her heart racing the entire time.

About two hours later, Jemma put down her instruments and exited the tiny hospital.

"He's stable for now, but he's in _really_ bad shape. If you had gotten here ten minutes later I don't think he would've made it, and he still might not. But I've done all I can."

Skye nodded. "Thank you. I know you hate him, and I totally get why, but when I saw him there, I just... I don't know. I couldn't leave him."

The British girl bobbed her head, then left, Fitz falling into step beside her. Skye watched them entwine their hands and sighed, turning to stare at the man she'd just saved.

Wires were connected to every part of him it seemed, and there was a long tube down his throat. Painful-looking second-degree burns covered much of his skin, in addition to the numerous slices and bruises. But the heart monitor beeped steadily.

Mustering her courage, Skye walked up to the door, pausing for a moment before pushing it open.

She cautiously made her way to stand next to Ward, as though she were afraid her presence would wake him. As she looked down at him, her heart broke, and a small tear escaped her eye.

"I should hate you. After everything you've done, seeing you half-dead should've made me happy. I should've left you, pretended I'd never seen you. I should have let you die. But... I found you. And I guess I must still feel something for you, because the thought of you dying..."

Shaking her head, she turned and exited the room, angrily wiping away the drops that had slipped down her cheeks. After retrieving her phone from the bar, she headed to her room, changing into pajamas and flopping into her bed. She was asleep a few minutes later.

* * *

It was three days after he'd been rescued that Grant finally woke up. The first thing he felt was the tube down his throat, a machine breathing for him. The next thing he felt was the pain _everywhere_. His entire body was sore, some places more than others. And it got worse as his senses cleared.

He opened his eyes, blinking at the harsh light. After they adjusted, he could make out a familiar figure looking over the various monitors he was attached to.

 _Simmons_.

He almost wanted to pretend he hadn't woke up, to spare himself the hateful glares he knew he'd receive from her. But she'd already noticed.

"You appear able to breathe on your own, and Coulson wants you debriefed as soon as possible, so I'm going to remove the breathing tube. It will be uncomfortable."

Her expression was flat, as though she were incapable of emotion. Leaning over him, she disconnected the breathing apparatus and pulled the slender hose from his throat. And she was correct, it was very uncomfortable. But he could speak now.

"Simmons... Thanks." His voice was rough and it hurt to talk, but he had to say thank you at least. She could have very easily refused to help and he would be dead.

Jemma didn't acknowledge him, just continued fiddling with her equipment. She left a few minutes later, but the room wasn't silent for long, as Skye walked in about 30 seconds after. Her face was mostly neutral but her eyes betrayed her relief. Ward smiled.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" He rasped as she made her way to stand next to him, a recorder in her hand.

"You know how this goes. I ask questions, you answer, and when I have what I need, I leave."

He sighed. "I know. Do what you have to, but please know that I am truly, truly sorry."

She swallowed, pulling a chair up beside him and sitting down, turning on the recorder.

* * *

After the first few standard debrief questions, Skye fidgeted and paused for a second before continuing.

"Coulson... He wants to know the details of your confinement. From start to finish."

Ward closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply.

"It was three weeks ago. I was in my apartment putting away groceries when I smelled something weird. At first I thought I had spilled something or other, but then I recognized it as Dropper Gas and reached for my pistol. Then a big Hydra agent came from nowhere. We threw each other around for a while before he pinned me and knocked me out. I woke up in a warehouse, handcuffed to a chair and gagged."

They went through all the details of his captivity. He descried every agonizing minute of each of Sierra's visits. Skye knew this was Coulson's version of scolding her for running off without telling him, but she tried to keep her expression neutral.

"And you're sure you didn't give them any sensitive information?" She asked when he finished talking.

"Yes, I am one-hundred percent sure."

It was silent for a minute, then Skye stopped the recorder.

"Why didn't you tell them anything? You've made it very clear that you want nothing to do with Shield anymore, so why defend it at risk to yourself?"

Ward was silent for a moment.

"Do you really want to know? The bare-bones truth?"

"Yes, Ward! Just one time, tell me the truth!"

Another long pause.

"To protect you. I knew that anything I gave them, no matter how small it was, would eventually affect you. I couldn't do that. I've hurt you too much already."

Skye's expression was one of shock as she took in his words. Suddenly the room was too small, and the air too thin. She grabbed the recorder and bolted, literally dropping the device outside of Coulson's office before sprinting to the sky deck.

As the walls around her dissolved, so did her control. She sank to the floor as the tears began to flow, her mind playing through all of the moments he'd described as though she were watching a movie. She tried to block it out but it didn't work. All she saw was Ward being tortured, his agonized expression as he refused to give up any information about Shield.

Staring out at the sky as it rolled by, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and then a few more to clear her head completely.

She was still in love with him. As much as she wanted to deny it, she really couldn't. And if he was telling the truth about why he'd protected Shield, then he must still care for her. She hated the way this revelation made her heart flutter.

Angrily swiping at her face, Skye stood and returned the walls to their normal feature, yanking the door open and heading to her bunk. She lazed in bed the rest of the day, eventually drifting off.

* * *

Skye woke up the next day with her heart racing. Her dreams had been plagued with images of torture and death. She dressed quickly and headed off to find some food.

After she had eaten, she grabbed some oatmeal and nutritionally-enhanced toast and made her way back to the med bay, taking a deep breath before opening the door to Grant's room.

Jemma was already there, detaching a couple of the wires connected to Ward. She was also doing an exceptional job of ignoring him while relaying information.

"We will continue to monitor your vitals, but you appear to be on the mend. You should be fully recovered in about three weeks."

Skye was astonished at the flatness in Jemma's voice. It was like the real Simmons had been replaced with a robot. Ward spoke, his voice considerably stronger than it had been the day prior.

"Jemma, I understand why you hate me, but I want you to know that I'm sorry. For everything I've done to you and the rest of the team. If I could, I would change it all. I'm sorry."

Simmons straightened and looked Ward directly in the eyes.

"You're _sorry_? You dumped me and my best friend in the ocean to die, you murdered Veronica Hand and I'm sure countless others, and you were part of an organization that plotted to kill millions. Sorry doesn't even begin to cover the damage you've caused."

There was a tense moment of silence before Skye decided to try and ease the awkwardness.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I think I'll take over from now on." The girl said, placing the food she'd brought on a little table and stepping slightly in-between the two.

Simmons narrowed her eyes. "You should have let him die."

"Jemma, leave."

The two stared at each other for a moment, then the bio-chemist turned and disappeared.

"Don't."

Skye turned at the sound of Ward's voice.

"What?"

"Don't side against your team. You know she's right."

Sitting down, the girl gave him a puzzled look. "She's right? I should've just left you? Well, excuse me if ignoring dying people goes against my personal moral code."

"But you know what I've done. Mine is not a life worth saving."

Skye rolled her eyes and picked up the spoon in the oatmeal.

"I would let you do it yourself, but all your fingers are broken. Open up."

Ward groaned. "I get out of Hydra's frying pan but jump into Shield's fire. I can't tell which is worse, the broken fingers or being spoon-fed like a baby."

Skye laughed, which made Grant smile.

"Seriously though, you need food."

"Whatever you say, nurse."

* * *

The first week passed quickly, though everyone but Skye avoided the medical wing. She brought him meals and went over the charts Simmons gave her, as the bio-chemist had refused to personally aid him any further. She and Skye had brushed off their little confrontation, but that didn't mean Jemma was okay with the "monster in the basement," as she put it. So she'd let her friend take over.

Halfway through the second week of Ward's recovery, Lance came in with Skye. He didn't have any personal history with the ex-agent, so he thought he might as well help with whatever he could, to get him out of there faster. The two hit it off instantly, and after only a couple of days, they would sit and talk like they were old friends.

By the time the third week rolled around, Skye had fallen into a regular pattern. Eat breakfast, bring Ward food, look over the charts and monitors, check his bandages and see how the burns and etcetera were doing, then sit and talk. She'd get up to bring lunch and dinner or if Coulson needed her, but other than that she rarely left his side.

"Where would you go if you were free to just... leave?" She asked one night. They were sitting together on his bed, playing Go Fish.

"I have a safe house. It's up in Michigan, on one of the lakes. My grandparents left it to me, so I kept it off of Shield's files. I figured I could retire there eventually and not have to worry too much."

"That sounds nice. I miss my van sometimes. It wasn't much, but life was so much simpler..."

"Well, if you ever need a vacation, don't bother to call ahead."

Skye looked up from her cards, catching his gaze and smiling.

"I might've taken you up on that one day."

He gave her a small, almost-sad grin, then looked back down at his hand. "Have any fives?"

She glanced down quickly then back up.

"Go fish."

* * *

It was on a Sunday that Grant was given the okay to travel. He would be escorted to Washington DC and tried for murder and crimes against humanity, almost assuredly going to prison for the rest of his life afterward.

No one saw Skye the entire day. Lance had brought Ward food and gone over his charts, as well as detached the remainder of the wires still monitoring him. Then they'd played a few different card games and chatted while waiting for the transport to arrive.

Meanwhile, the young hacker was doing what she did best, praying that she would be fast enough.

The escorts arrived at six PM. After exchanging greetings with Coulson, four headed down to the med bay while three stayed with the plane.

Hunter stood when the military personnel entered the room, backing away slightly as Ward was locked in handcuffs. Suddenly someone yelled "Wait!" Outside the doors.

Skye had an Icer in each hand, and she didn't hesitate in firing them when the men turned. The four escorts dropped instantly, then she hurried over to Grant and unlocked his wrists. Lance didn't help, but he also didn't try to stop them. Ward looked shocked.

"Skye, what are you doing?!" He demanded, watching as she typed a few things into her phone.

"Retiring."

She then ran out the door, and he had the good sense to follow her.

The pair sprinted through the halls and to the Little Dove hangar, where Skye attached some device to the access panel and began lowering the ramp.

"You know they were watching the feed from my room, right?" He questioned as he followed her into one of the tiny planes.

"I looped the feed just before those guys came in. And I kept the time going, so it looks like you and Hunter are still talking and the GI's are taking an incredibly long time to get there."

As the door on the aircraft sealed, Ward pushed her into the wall with surprising strength, kissing her as though she could disappear at any second.

"I love you..." He whispered, resting his forehead against hers for a moment.

"I love you too. But we really need to get moving." She replied, smiling a little as she sat in the pilot's seat.

They strapped themselves in, Skye entering a few codes and turning on the stealth equipment. Then she flipped on the engines and jetted away from the bus, invisible to the world.

* * *

Coulson was pouring himself a scotch when Lance appeared next to him and took the decanter, filling a glass and taking a sip before speaking.

"Sir, I'd like to report the fact that former agents Grant Ward and Skye have left the premises."

Phil stared at Hunter for a moment. "Again please?"

"Skye and Ward flew off into the sunset together is the gist of it."

"And you know this how, Lance?"

"I watched it happen. I was unarmed and Skye had a gun which I didn't know was an Icer, so I thought it best not to take my chances."

Coulson ordered anyone available to head to the medical center, starting there himself. Lance was right on his heels, drink in hand.

FitzSimmons, May, Coulson, Hunter, and the three remaining agents from DC all arrived outside Ward's room at the same time. When they opened the door, the four men that had been shot were laying there on the floor, just as Lance had stated.

Fitz pulled out his DataTab while the others helped the unconscious soldiers. He first scanned Shields files, then the CIA's, the FBI's, and so on. He was jolted out of his tapping by Coulson ordering him to start running searches for anything on the two rogues.

"Facial recognition, past hideaways, I want all of it gone through. Everything of potential interest goes to my desk."

Fitz sighed and pulled up the shield Database, showing him the blank screen.

"Sir... There's nothing. I would guess today she was erasing Shield's files, as we might look through those before they could leave, but she's been working on this for the past week at least. There's no mention of her or Ward, no photos, nothing at all. Anywhere. According to the world, Grant Ward and Skye don't exist."

Coulson's face dropped. "What about the plane they took? Can't we track it?"

The young engineer shook his head. "Stark's Stealth technology is too good. They're gone, and unless they want to be found... They're not going to be."

The room was silent as Fitz's words sunk in. Then one of the DC men spoke up.

"What should we tell Washington, sir?"

Phil looked around at what remained of his team, then spoke.

"Tell them the truth. And tell them not to waste their time digging. Skye's the best hacker I know of, and if there's nothing on S.H.I.E.L.D's files... there's nothing at all."

The agent nodded, as Director Coulson headed down the hall and up to the sky deck, hitting the switch that made the walls transparent. He looked out at the expanse of blue and white, then released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"Goodbye Skye. We're gonna miss you."

He sighed, then swatted away the lone tear that had made its way down his cheek.

* * *

Ward had given her the coordinates of his safe house, and it had taken them just under three hours to reach it. They landed on the beach near the house, and opening the door revealed a gorgeous view of the water, the orange light above it creating a beautiful scene.

Skye turned and noticed that there was a small cliff behind them that had a flight of stairs going up it, and assumed that they led to the house he had been given.

Ward took her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you around our new home."

She grinned and whispered "Home," jumping up the steps after him.

He gave her a tour of the house and the grounds surrounding it, then opened a secret hatch in one of the closets and took out a couple stacks of cash.

"I was able to run out here a few times and put some money away. If I remember right there's about ten thousand dollars here. And I paid a guy to drive a car I used for an assignment up here, so there's that as well. It's about fifteen minutes into town, we can run there tomorrow."

Skye couldn't stop grinning, a feeling of ecstasy overwhelming her. Ward stood and turned, but his face fell when he saw her.

"Skye, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She cocked her head in confusion, then felt the warm drops on her cheeks and laughed.

"I just... I can't even _begin_ to describe how happy I am. I've never felt like this. It's beyond amazing."

Relieved, he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "I feel the same."

They held each other tightly for a moment, then kissed as the light faded from the horizon, their old lives dying with it.

* * *

 _Two And A Half Years Later  
_ ** _  
_**

* * *

Jemma walked into the little church, her husband beside her. They were investigating some suspicious seismic readings that had come from the general area about a month prior.

The pastor had agreed to let them test the ground around and inside the building, as the first waves had been pinpointed to its specific location.

"You must Mr. and Mrs. Fitz, the scientists. I'm glad to have you here, I must say. I first thought the place was coming down, as it's fairly old, but by the grace of God it's still standing."

Jemma smiled, then began asking questions as Leo unpacked the D.W.A.R.F.'s and started flying them around the structure.

"Did the earthquakes come on very suddenly, or did it start as a low rumble?"

"They did start kinda suddenly, but they weren't very severe. Some of the women are saying that they're what sent one of our members into labor, though. Her water broke just as the second one hit. She was past her due date so it was okay, but they ran out of here like they were the devil himself."

The pastor chuckled and continued to answer the scientist's questions. When he had told her everything he knew, he retired to his office, telling them that if they needed anything, all they had to do was ask. Thanking him, Jemma turned to help her spouse, but a photo card on the bulletin board caught her attention.

"Pastor Owens, is this the girl that went into labor as the earthquakes hit?"

Pastor Owens walked back and looked at the card she was pointing to. It read "Matthew and Maya Jennings would like to invite you to the dedication of their daughter, Grace Elora Jennings. Ceremony to take place at Northwood Baptist Church on Sunday, August Twenty-Third, at Eleven-Thirty AM. Cake and punch will be served afterwards in the foyer."

"Yeah, that's the couple I was talking about. They got married here about two and a half years ago, then they started coming regularly. Do you know them?"

Jemma studied the photo for a second. Skye was holding a beautiful baby girl, a brilliant smile on her face. Ward stood a little behind her with a similar expression.

"No, it's just... They look very happy." She said with a little grin.

The pastor grinned as well. "Oh, they are."

The girl sighed but continued smiling, then turned back to the pastor.

"I'm glad."

Pastor Owens nodded, the expression on his face hinting that he knew more than he was saying. "Me too, Mrs. Fitz. Me too."


End file.
